Translation: Recovery as a social mission: visible transformation of relationships

The Child Benefits Scandal damaged individuals, families, but also relations with and within society. That is why this article studies what societal repair could entail. After all, despite all the money, personnel, and time spent on repair, those victimized experience these measures as inadequate. A systemic, society-wide approach is lacking. To go beyond individual recognition and financial compensation, we draw on the theory of transformative justice, resonance, and the justice continuum to present repair as a scale that includes micro, meso, and macro levels. This theory can help anchor and guide existing knowledge, energy, and initiatives. We present three perspective shifts to overcome the main obstacles for societal repair. These can be applied by a wide range of societal actors who are all implicated in the repair for the Child Benefits Scandal. We argue that repair is in fact the visible transformation of social relationships. It therefore concerns all of us.

This article is a synthesis of two documents commissioned by the Ministry of Finance: Nicole Immler & Niké Wentholt (2023), Recovery as a Social Mission. Visible Transformation of Relationships;
Nicole Immler & Niké Wentholt (2024), Framework for Social Recovery in the Benefits Affair. Beyond Lessons Learned: Transforming and Restoring.